Improvement in compound railroad-rails



T. W. TRAVIS. COMPOUND RAILROAD-RAILS. 194,193.-

Pailenfved A11-g. 14,1877.

N. PETRS, PHOTO-LITVDRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIGE.

THOMAS W. TRAVIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HIS RIGHT 'IO JOHN A. POLLOOK, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMPOUND RAILROAD-RAILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194, P93, dated August 14, 1877; application filed v June 2d, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TEoMAs W. TRAvIs, of.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Compound Rails, of which the following is a specification The object of my invention is to make a substantial compound railroad-rail with a continuous tread, by combining comparatively light and inexpensive steel bars with clamping-girders of' cast-iron, in the manner described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved compound rail; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the same, and Fig. 3 a sectional plan.

The rail is composed of four main partsnamely, the two angle-bars A A', of steel or ot' a superior grade ot wrought-iron, and the two clamping-girders B B', of cast-iron. The horizontal tlanges a a'of the angle-bars constitute the tread, and the vertical flanges b b are' confined by and between the girders.

I prefer to dovetail together the lower portions of the cast-iron girders, one girder having dovetailed projections d d, adapted to similarly shaped recesses in the other girder, and on the projections bear the lower ends of the vertical webs b b of the angle-bars, the uppercurved edges of the girders forming bearings for the under side of the anges a a, where they join the said vertical Hang-es.

. Each ot' the clampinggirders is, by preference, strengthened by ribs m m, -and the girders and angle-bars are firmly secured together by suitable bolts x a.

The angle-bars and girders should be made of equal lengths; but, in putting theml together, care should be taken that the ends of one angle-bar should occur at apoint between the ends of an adjoining bar; thus the joint 2, Fig. 3, of the angle-bars A occurs at a distance from the joint 3 of the angle-bars A'; and the same rule should be observed as regards the girders, the joint 4 of girders B B occurring at a distance from the joint 5 of the girders B', and the joints of the girders should occur at a distance from those of the anglebars. In other words, there should be a general breaking or staggering of joints, both ot' the angle-bars as regards each other, and of the girders in respect to each other and to the joints of the angle-bars. By this arrangement-acontinuous tread, uninterrupted by the objectionable gaps which extend entirely across ordinary rails at their joints, is produced, and the joints of the angle-bars are protected by the girders at points where the latter are the least liable to yield.

The openings m' in the stems b of the anglebars A A' are but slightly, if any, Wider than the bolts which confine the various parts together; but these openings are considerably longer than `they are wide, so that while independentvertical movement ofthe rails tending to produce uneven joints is prevented, longitudinal movement ot the bars., demanded by expansion and contraction, is not interfered with.

While my improved rail has the advantage of a continuous tread, it is more substantial than an ordinary rail, owing to the rigidity imparted by the cast-iron girders. At the same time it is as cheap as, or cheaper than, arail made entirely of steel, owing to the small amount of this metal which enters into the composition of the compound rail.

I claim as my invention- 1. A continuous compound rail composed of two sets of angle-bars, A A', with staggered joints, and two sets of girders, B B'` all being combined substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the angle bars with girders dovetailed together, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS W. TRAVIS.

Witnesses: HERMANN MoEssNEE,

HAEEY SMITH. 

